Reflection for November 30
The Apostles were going about their daily business, pursuing their livelihood of fishing to sustain their loved ones. Certainly, this was honorable — and necessary work. Jesus, however, calls them to a different kind of fishing — fishers of men. What does this mean? Why is he calling them from work that sustains them to do something incomprehensible to them? Does he want them to starve to death?
This calling is as relevant today as it was then. Deep within all of us is the Light of Christ -- our spirit, our soul, that divine force which defines our humanity. But this light gets dimmed by the necessary — and excessive — minutiae of everyday life. And it is often difficult to distinguish between the necessaries and the excesses. So along comes our buddy Jesus, inviting us to leave our boatloads of excesses, to reconnect with our divine spirit within. As that light shines brighter, through our spirit, we will bring Jesus into our world.
What does this look like in everyday life? Giving people the benefit of the doubt rather than rushing to judgment. Listening. Opening our hearts and minds to new ideas. Giving our time to charitable causes and people in need. Comforting those who are hurting. Connecting with those around us with eye contact and a smile. Leading by example. The path to following Jesus will be as unique as each of us. But for everyone it means doing as much as we can to make the world a better place — from the nature that surrounds us, to the people in our daily lives, to the people we will never meet and nations we will never visit. Jesus calls us to tout our beliefs to the world through our actions, not by pontificating. Positivity begets positivity. This is the modern-day net -- spreading the good word, being “fishers of humankind.” And let’s share some belly laughs as we walk the walk.
Diana Vigneau